Means for securing cables to hoist drums



Sept. 21, 1943.

E. E. ROBINS MEANS FOR SECURING CABLES TO HOIST DRUMS Filed June 12, 1941 10M sgzssoasu S m b m0 W E 30 m f w T ATTO R N EYS Patented Sept. 21, 1943 MEANS FOR SECURING CLES T HOIST DRUMS,

Erford E. Robins, Tonawanda, N. EL, assignor to.

Columbus McKinnon Chain Corporation, Tonawanda, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 12, 1941, Serial No. 397,821

7 Claims.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that in the usual hoist construction, the full length of the cable is passed through a radial opening in the drum, and the cable makes a sharp bend at the point where it\emerges from the drum, with the result that kinking of the cable occurs and consequently weakening thereof.

The principal object of my invention therefore has been to provide means for securing a cable to a hoist drum by which the anchor at the end of the cable may be passed through an opening in the drum and securely locked in place, without having to thread the entire length of the cable through the opening in the drum.

A further object has been to provide means for closing the opening through which the anchor is passed and to provide such closing means with an anvil surface of smooth curved contour whereby all sharp bends may be avoided in the cable and it may be brought to the surface of the drum in smooth unbroken curves of such radii that kinking will be impossible.

Another object has been to provide abutment means on the interior of the drum for the anchor at the end of the cable and engagement with said anchor by a lateral movement away from the center of the hole through which the anchor passes, and at substantially tangential arrangement with said hole.

Moreover, my device is so constructed that the insert block and the means for securing it in place are located under the first convolution of the cable on the drum and are therefore locked in place by said cable.

Furthermore, my means are so constructed that the clamping block and the screw for securing the same in place take no part of the tensional strain in the cable, thereby providing means which are simple and strong. I

Moreover, my securing means are simple, strongand durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view taken through a hoist drum showing my invention and is taken on line i-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, plan view of the invention. I

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the drum with the insert block removed.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionthrough ,the drum taken on line ii of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 show modified forms of insert blocks.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown my invention as applied to a cable hoist, but it.

is obvious that it is applicable to many other uses where it is necessary to secure a cable.

In the drawing, it represents the drum of the hoist which is shown in fragmentary manner and which is provided with the usual helical groove H for the reception of the cable i2 of the drum.

In carrying out my invention, the drum at the starting end of the cable is provided with an inwardly extending housing l3, arranged adjacent the flange M at that end of thedrum. This housing is provided with a recess I5 which is terminated at its lower end by means of a bottom wall Hi.

The bottom wall of the housing is formed with an aperture made of a size sufiicient to permil; the usual cable anchor block 2 I to pass therethrough. Formed in the side of the housing opposite the place where the cable emerges from the drum is a radial recess 22. This recess is ofiset longitudinally with relation to the center of the aperture 20 and extends substantially in tangential direction therefrom. This recess is of such size as to permit the passage of the cable |2- but prevents the passage of the anchor blockZl. The housing is provided on its under face with an abutment 23 arranged at such an sert block is fitted into the recess l5 and also functions to provide a smooth curved surface of relatively large radius to support the cable as it emerges from the drum. To this end the block is formed with an upper surface 25 curved so as to meet and support the cable as it emerges from the drum and to carry it up to the point where it will engage the roove H of the drum, thus preventing all possibility of kinking. The upper surface of this block may be provided with grooves 26 registering with the'grooves ll of the drum. If desired, the grooves 26 of the block 24 may be extended the full length of the block as shown in Fig. 5. In this figure the block 35 is provided .forisupporting the second and third convolutions of the cable. Each of the blocks 35 and 36 is, of

course, formed with a curved recess 25 for supporting the cable asit emerges from the drum and meets the first groove thereon. A countersunk hole 32 is formed in each 'blbck for the reception of the screw 30.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the insert block 24 will beheld in place within the I recess i by means of the cable 20 of the hoist without additional fastening means. It is preferable, however, to provide suitable fastening means for the insert block and for this purpose I employ a screw 30. The head 3I- oi the screw is 'set into a countersunk. aperture 32 to such a depth that the top surface of the head lies Just below the groove 26 formed in the block whereby, should the screw become loose, it will be prevented from working its way out of the aperture because of the presenceof the cable. The screw passes through the block and into the bottom wall it of the housing.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when a cable is to be attached to a drum equipped with my invention, the anchor block 2| which is, as is well known initially secured to the end of the cable I2, is passed through the opening 20. and then moved longitudinally of the drum to a point where it registers with the recess 22. The

cable is then moved into this recess. While the cable is temporarily held in a substantially radial direction in the recess 22, the insert block 24 is placed in the recess l5 and the screw 30 passed therethrough and into the wall i6 where it is securely fastened in place. Thecable is then drawn over the curved top surface of the insert block and engaged with the first groove I I of the drum in a smooth gradual curve, thus preventing harmful kinking or bending. When the cable is thus moved over the top of the insert block, the anchor block 2| will be brought to the proper angle so that its upper surface will engage with the abutment 23 formed on the housing. Thus, by the insertion of the block 24, the cable is not only held within the recess 22, but when the cable is in place upon the drum it serves to lock all the parts together. When it is desired to remove or replace the cable for any reason, it is only necessary to unwrap it from the drum and then to remove the insert block, after which the anchor block may be passed through the aperture 20.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims. and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof. 1 a 4 Having thus described my invention, what I claimis:

1. A hoist drum having a cable anchoring portion formed with a. peripheral cable-anchoring recess having an enlarged communicating entrance opening, the latter permitting free passage of an enlarged anchoring head inwardly therethrough for anchoring engagement in the recess, and a removable closure for the entrance opening, said closure having a cable supporting surface over which the cable passes as it leaves the recess, whereby the cable will serve to hold the closure in place.

21 A hoist drum having a cable anchoring portionformed with a peripheral cable-anchoring recess having an enlarged communicating en trance opening, the latter permitting free passage of an enlarged anchoring'head inwardly therethrough for anchoring engagement in the recess, and a removable closure for the entrance opening, said closure having a cable supporting surface extending peripherally in the direction of the wind of the cable and over which the cable passes as it leaves the recess, whereby to give support to the cable from the recess to the cable supporting periphery of the drum.

3. A hoist drum having a cable anchoring portion formed with a peripheral cable-anchoring recess having an enlarged communicating entrance opening, the latter permitting free passage of an enlarged anchoring head inwardly therethrough for anchoring engagement in the recess, a removable closure for the entrance opening, said closure having a cable supporting surface over which the cable passes as it leaves the recess, whereby the cable will serve to hold the closure operative, and means carried by said closure and said drum for securing the closure in place, said securing means being accessible from said cable supporting surface.

4. A hoist drum having a. cable anchoring recess formed in its periphery and provided with a cable anchoring aperture formed in its bottom wall, said aperture having an enlarged communicating entrance opening, the latter permitting passage of an enlarged anchoring head inwardly through said bottom wall for anchoring engagement in the opening, and a removable closure for the entrance opening disposed in said recess, said closure having a cable supporting surface over which the cable passes as it leaves the cable anchoring aperture, whereby the cable will serve to'hold the closure in position,

5. A hoist drum having a cable anchoring recess formed in its periphery and provided with a cable anchoring aperture formed in its bottom wall, said aperture having an enlarged communicating entrance opening, the latter permitting passage of an enlarged anchoring head inwardly through said bottom wall for anchoring engagement in the opening, and a removable closure disposed within said recess and extending over said entrance opening, said closure having a cable supporting surface which is covered by more than one convolution of said cable, whereby the cable will serve to retain said closure in position.

6. A hoist drum having a cable anchoring recess formed in its periphery and provided with a cable anchoring aperture formed in its bottom wall, said aperture having an enlarged communicating entrance opening in offset relation therewith, the latter permitting passage of an enlarged anchoring head inwardly through said bottom wall for anchoring engag ment in the aperture, and a removable closure for the entrance opening disposed in said recess, said closure having a cable supporting surface over which the cable passes as it leaves the cable anchoring aperture, whereby the cable will serve tohold the closure in position.

7. A hoist drum having a cable anchoring recess formed in its periphery and provided with a cable anchoring aperture formed in its bottom wall, said aperture having an enlarged communicating entrance opening} the latter permitting passage 01' an enlarged anchoring head inwardly through said bottom wall for anchoring engagement in the aperture, and a removable block disposed within said recess ior closing said entrance open- ERFORD E. ROBINS. 

